 FAQ (last updated July 20th, 2023)Click the topic below to find your answer.
The Applied Improvisation Network (AIN) was created in 2002 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching applied improvisation. Initially, 30 pioneering improvisers gathered for the first conference in San Diego. Today, AIN is a global community of practitioners and facilitators across numerous regional and local groups. This year, we are ReImAgINing the AIN Conference, and the ever-popular main elements will include plenary sessions, workshops, AINx (TED-style) talks, and in-person Open Space. Requests for Proposals and Presenting at the ConferenceI want to present at the AIN Conference. Can I submit a proposal? The Requests for Proposals are now closed. Please submit until Monday, April 10th, 2023. Please note that everyone can present at the conference – we have several Open Space sessions available for individuals to present 30, 60, or 90-minute presentations on Sunday, July 30th. Travel to VancouverHow do I get to Vancouver? Arriving at YVR/Directions to Granville Island Yes, we have Uber and Lyft, but regulations tie their rate to those of licensed taxis, so it’s probably not worth getting one unless the lineup for taxis is huge and you think you might save some time. Taxis from the airport operate on a strict zone system (not on a meter) - to central Vancouver (including the Holiday Inn); the rate is a flat $31 CAD per trip, taxes included, a tip is extra. To downtown Vancouver (including Granville Island, the YWCA, and most downtown hotels), it’s a flat $34 CAD. These are daytime prices. Multiple stops (e.g., if you drop one passenger off and then carry on with the rest) add cost. Taxis take cash and credit cards. The north-south train to the city is officially known as the “Canada Line,” though some locals also use the term “Skytrain,” the larger east-west line. All Vancouver transit is integrated, so you can move between Canada Line, local buses, Skytrain, and even the “Seabus” (a passenger ferry to North Vancouver) on the same ticket within a designated time frame. You can buy tickets at the stations - or you can tap your chip-encoded credit card. Tap in as you enter, and tap out as you exit. Tap in again if you are transferring - but there will be no charge. Trains leave YVR (Vancouver Airport) about every 6 minutes during the day. The trip from YVR to downtown (you probably want Vancouver City Centre Station) is 24 minutes. To Holiday Inn, get off at Broadway-City Hall Station (19 minutes from YVR), cross the street, and transfer to a #9 bus going west. To YWCA, get off at Vancouver City Centre and walk 8 minutes. For Granville Island, the connections are more awkward, but you probably aren’t coming here directly from the airport anyway. Car rental doesn't make sense if your primary activity is the conference itself. Parking on Granville Island will cost you $21 CAD/day, and your hotel might also charge for overnight. Even if you have free street parking at your Airbnb, you will probably be better off just taking a taxi or UBER to the conference. Even a side trip to Victoria is easier on the downtown-to-downtown tour bus as Victoria is walkable, and the bus has a guaranteed spot on the ferry, which your rented car will not. A car rental makes sense if you are planning to reach some of the more distant sights - like a hike through Lighthouse Park or over the Lynn Canyon suspension bridge (the Capilano Suspension Bridge offers a free bus) or a stop at the beautiful Butchart Gardens on your way to Victoria. But we suggest you rent the car for those extra days here before or after the conference. Check out the top of this page for more information. How do I get to Vancouver from the airport? Where is the Conference venue located? What is the weather going to be like? What essentials should I pack? Some items to be sure to bring include:
Travel while in VancouverWhat types of auto rentals and/or ride-share services are in Vancouver? What types of public transportation are there? What other modes of transportation are there besides transit? What is there to do in Vancouver? Will there be WIFI at the AIN Conference? Cell Phones Is food included in the conference fee? Is accommodation included in the conference fee? How far is it to walk/drive/transit from the conference to the accommodations? Can I bring a guest who will accompany me to the AIN Conference? Guests can attend:
Conference Schedule / EventsClick here to access our Full Conference Schedule. What is Open Space? What are the AIN Learning Journeys? When & Where will the AIN Learning Journeys be held (date, time, location)? How and when can I register for Learning Journeys? UPDATED: You can register for Learning Journeys here. I have registered for my Learning Journey(s). How do I make a change? Will you provide food at the AIN Learning Journeys? How do I get to my Learning Journey? Do I have to attend the AIN Conference to be able to attend the AIN Learning Journeys? Can I submit a Learning Journey offer? Are there any AIN Conference Scholarships?The AIN Board is committed to increasing the accessibility of this conference to people from under-served and under-represented communities, primarily locally in the host country. You can help by donating to the AIN scholarship fund and helping increase the number of participants who could not otherwise afford to attend. Scholarship applications will be due by Saturday, June 1st. This scholarship opportunity for full registration may vary from year to year. The Applied Improvisation Network (AIN) is committed to increasing the accessibility of this conference to people from underserved and under-represented communities by providing award scholarships to as many deserving people as possible who live, work, or attend school near the host city of Vancouver BC. If you want to attend the AIN 2023 Conference under a scholarship, please fill out our 2023 Scholarship application form. (Applications due June 1st.) SponsorshipsIf you are involved in applied improvisation and have a profitable company or organization that has benefited from being part of the AIN community, please consider giving back by making a more significant gift. To thank you for your generosity and kindness, you and your organization will receive a big AIN thank you and recognition from the stage! Please contact us about other potential sponsorship opportunities or if you know of an aligned outside organization that would like to discuss how they might increase their visibility within our community. Please contact Anna, our Administrator, at [email protected] if you want to become a 2023 ReimAgINe Conference Sponsor. COVID-19 PolicyPlease see this website https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid for all travel regulations for Canada. Masks and vaccination policies will be based on the current country's requirements. We ask that all 2023 conference attendees, exhibitors, and guests attest to the following:
Cancellation Policy
Refunds will be processed within 30 days after we have confirmed the cancellation. The organizing team reserves the right to cancel the conference and allocate the accumulated costs due to natural disasters, strikes, civil disorder, war, government regulations, curtailment of transport facilities, supernatural interventions, or other emergencies that make holding the event inadvisable, illegal, or unfeasible. The conference schedule is subject to change without notice, and we will attempt to keep you updated as much as possible. Thank you so much for reading the FAQs. If you still have questions, please email [email protected].
Resources StoreDo you have relevant stuff to sell at the conference? Books? Old School CDs or videos? Card Decks? “Yes, and..” balloons? We will have a Resources Store available to sell your goods! We hope to make it super easy for folks to shop and super convenient for you to get paid out. Here’s what we need to make that happen:
The “before you arrive” part is important. AIN Vancouver Resource Store can’t support unannounced surprises delivered to us in Vancouver that we haven’t had a chance to put into the spreadsheets first. Just send your name & contact info to [email protected] for now, and we’ll be in touch about details later. Please make contact before June 15. That way, we can have everything arranged by July 15, and we can all be assured things will run smoothly. For those that want to ship their products to us ahead of time, we ask that they arrive in Vancouver no later than July 15th, or alternatively, bring them with you if you have made arrangements to do so. Reminder: our team will be unable to sell products that have not been pre-arranged by the cut-off date. (Though, being Canadians, we will, of course, be very polite about it.) This service is volunteer-run to solely benefit our members and presenters. All proceeds, minus banking fees, will be going back to you. We look forward to welcoming you and your “merch” to Vancouver this summer! For questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with the Vancouver Resource Store Volunteer Avi Dolgin. Conference Locations and Wi-Fi InformationThis year, we will have our workshops and AINx Talks take place in a few venues on Granville Island. These venues are all very close together and are easy to walk to. Please click here to see the Conference Locations and Venues. FAQ: Will there be easily visible Wi-Fi networks and passwords at all the events? Answer: Yes! We will have the Wi-Fi information available around the venues. 2023 AIN Global Conference Click here to see our Thank You to Our Sponsors! Click here to register for the conference! Click here to return to the landing page directory! |